When some people have a bad day, they make cookies with their friends, take time to have a spa day and journal or jam out to music in their car. But for senior Madeline Curts, she digs through her yarn collection, gets out her crochet hooks from the corner of her room and pulls up the latest crochet pattern or inspiration she has found on Pinterest.

Everyone has their own way of expressing their creativity, and for Curts it is through her newfound love for crocheting.

“I learned to crochet back when I was eight, but I wasn’t very good,” Curts said. “I picked it up again around February of this year, and I found it very relaxing and enjoyable.”

Besides crocheting as a hobby, Curts has turned her craft into a business. Curts’ business, Croslay, was started at the beginning of Oct. and since then has gained popularity after its first sale of multicolored mini dinosaurs.

“I first started with some left over yarn that I had from fourth grade and I started crochet some hats and dinosaurs. From there, people started requesting specific animals and I was able to put the money back into the business. My friends encouraged me to make this into a business and I’m so glad I did,” Curts said.

Croslay did not start overnight. A lot of work behind the scenes went into making the business possible. The most important part of any business would be its name. Curts highlights how coming up with the name Croslay remains to be one of the most memorable experiences she has had with this project.

“We were in the percussion room one day discussing. Madeline kept on saying slay a bunch of times and suddenly I blurted out Croslay,” said Karis Wilson (’24) who helped Curts come up with the name. “I thought it was a perfect name because Madeline is really good at crocheting and I think there is such a special meaning being why she does it too.”

The purpose of Croslay is to encourage others to engage in art or another hobby as a stress outlet. Curts claims that what prompted her to start the business was when she had her English Individual Oral (IO), a ten-minute oral examination about the analysis of two works given to IB students during their junior year. With so many expressing their excitement for Curts’ craft, she begins to develop the business this school year.

“I think it’s always cool when someone as young as we are makes their own business because it’s something you don’t really see often, especially with Madeline being in IB and the workload we all have,” Cereza Perez (’24) said, who received a Curts Bag as a birthday present. “It’s really inspiring to watch her put so much time and effort into something she enjoys and get something out of it.”

Future projects and drops are to come for the growing business. Curts is currently experimenting with creating some new products, such as mushroom-shaped chapstick holders. Custom orders are also currently being taken. If you are interested in purchasing from Croslay, DM Curts through Instagram @cro.slay_

“Right now, I’m working on some bags. I’m also coming up with some original patterns for chapstick holders. The upcoming breaks will allow Croslay to flourish as I will have extra time to give it attention. I’m excited to see what is next for Croslay,” Curts said.

This story was originally published on RHS Today on December 11, 2023.